Road to Turku: German U19s at Cologne Camp

Louis Attendu is a midfielder and attackman on the German U19 National Team roster. Here, he continues the ongoing Road to Turku blog series detailing the German's preparations for the 2012 FIL U19 World Lacrosse Championships that kick off in Turku, Finland, on July 13.

As the important day approached, the opening of the 2012 FIL U-19 Lacrosse World cup in Turku, Finland, preparations for the german U-19 national team increased in intensity. Training camps became tougher and so did each player’s independent workout plans. Fitness studios became a daily routine along with high-intensity interval training, Tabatha workouts and sprint and reaction time drills. Anything to get the young men into the best condition possible.

To take one step further, Jan van Eijkelenburg, manager of the U-19 team and defenseman of the German men’s national team, gave the players a rare opportunity: to get their individual physical condition measured and analyzed in a university setting. And not just any university but the Sport Hochschule in Cologne, Germany, one of the best sport universities in Europe!

The two-day testing period included a closely monitored endurance run during which heart and lactate rates were precisely recorded, photoelectrical-gate measured sprints and muscle by muscle maximum-strength readings. Of course, these tests gave the young athletes a chance to compare themselves to their teammates, causing many agitated yet fun one-on-one competitions. But the weekend was much more than just a bragging contest, it provided each player with a thorough analysis of his own physical condition. The resulting analysis pointed out his strengths and weaknesses, muscular imbalances but perhaps more importantly advice on how to better these imperfections. The “Cologne camp,” as the players call it, provided them with invaluable information on how to improve their own workouts and be possibly one of the fittest teams in the upcoming world games.

Once again, the Germans display their characteristic commitment, determination and efficiency, attributes that will surely give them an edge in their upcoming challenges. Definitely a team to keep an eye out for.

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